Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-07-24

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER CYPRUS ISSUE

[02] CYPRIOT MINISTERS EU ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

[03] RELATIVES OF MISSING PERSONS VISIT

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER CYPRUS ISSUE

Since they acknowledge and accept our good intentions, this means that our positions and reservations on substantive issues are more acceptable and it is understood that these concerns do not derive from a negative stance but from the fact that such issues really exist, Kyprianou added.

At the same time, he noted, everyone expects the next phase of the peace process to see how discussions move on issues of substance.

The international community, he noted, welcomes the first phase which began in March, with a meeting between President Demetris Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat.

The Minister said that no pressure is exerted and no timetables are set out as each country has its own agenda and its own priorities.

The international community is giving support and is in anticipation of developments, Kyprianou added, noting that there are of course countries with a special role in the Cyprus question. These countries are more active and their positions are well known as their officials make statements themselves, Kyprianou added.

On Friday, the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President Demetris Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot leader will meet for the fourth time since Christofias assumed office in February 2008. They are expected to undertake the final review of the working Groups and technical Committees, set up to prepare the ground for fully-fledged negotiations. They are also expected to decide whether and when to begin direct talks for a Cyprus settlement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.

[02] CYPRIOT MINISTERS EU ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

During the meeting, the Cypriots Ministers briefed Barrot about the situation prevailing in Cyprus regarding illegal migration and asylum, noting that Cyprus fully utilizes EU policies to tackle these problems. Chrysostomides and Sylikiotis expressed the belief that the Pact on Immigration and Asylum promoted by the French EU presidency will reinforce efforts towards the formation of common policies and better management of these issues.

They have also assured Commissioner Barrot that the Cypriot Government intends to make full use of EU solidarity funds in promoting measures to control illegal immigration and better border management. In this context, measures related to legal immigrants integration and the support of refugees will be promoted, the two Ministers said.

[03] RELATIVES OF MISSING PERSONS VISIT

They also met with members of the bi-communal team of scientists working on the anthropological and osteological analysis of remains transferred to the laboratory from exhumation sites on both sides of the UN-controlled buffer zone, which divides Cyprus northern Turkish occupied areas from the southern government controlled part of the country.

The family associations went on to visit the Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) where they were briefed about DNA identification by the bi-communal team of geneticists.

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